Water softening systems, iron filters and back washing filters are examples of water treatment systems. Water softening systems, for example, have long been used to soften water by removing magnesium, calcium and other metal cations from hard water. The softened water is typically more suitable than hard water for allowing soaps and detergents to efficiently clean. Furthermore, softened water causes far less lime scale build up within water pipes than hard water, allowing the water pipes to remain substantially free of such blockages so water can freely flow.
Water softening systems are often positioned near to where water enters a home, office, or industrial building from an external source, such as a well or municipal water distribution system, so that the water can be softened prior to its further distribution and use. Such systems typically comprise a water treatment tank storing water softening media, a brine source for periodically regenerating the softening media, and a control system (such as a water softener valve in the case of a water softener system or other control system for removing iron, for example) switching between a service mode and a regeneration mode.
Typically, a riser tube extends inside the water treatment tank generally from the top of the water treatment tank to its bottom. The riser tube extends from a port, or inlet, in the control system that is mounted atop the water treatment tank, through the water softening media, to terminate near to the bottom of the water treatment tank. A basket at the bottom of the riser tube keeps water softening media from entering into the riser tube and blocking the riser tube. The riser tube conveys treated water from within the water treatment tank to the control system for use outside of the water softener system.
After prolonged use of the water treatment system, it is common for the control system inlet and the riser tube to become adhered to each other at their interface due to the effects of water, water contaminants and the ion-exchange resin. During servicing or maintenance, when it is desired to remove the control system mounted atop of the water treatment tank, it is common though undesirable for the riser tube to be pulled upwards and partially out of the water treatment tank along with the control system, due to the adherence. It is difficult to know whether such adherence has occurred until the control system has been removed enough for a tool or hand to enter the space between the control system and the top of the water treatment tank to grip the riser tube and prevent it further rising. By the time there is space enough to grip the riser tube, the riser tube, if so-adhered to the control system, has already risen partly out of the tank. This can cause frustration for maintenance personnel because once the riser tube has been pulled upwards in this manner, the water softening media backfills the space and blocks the riser tube from being re-settled to its desired position. As a result, the maintenance personnel must remove all or most of the water softening media, reset the position of the riser tube, and then pour the water softening media into place in the water treatment tank. This is a very time-consuming task.